babytime

The Boys

2007-08-25T19:43:00.001-05:00

Watching Josh and David is going to become one of our favorite hobbies. Though initially Josh was more interested in watching Boz than welcoming home his baby brother, he eventually warmed up and started inspecting this new thing in our house. In fact, Josh had a lot of fun pulling David's blanket off of him and then throwing back on him. He did this about 400 times. After doing some supervised prodding and exploring, Josh tried repeatedly to climb in the cradle with David.

This is the sweetest one...with Josh holding David's hand.

Take Me Home

2007-08-25T19:08:00.000-05:00

"Take me home" the boy's outfit says. "Directly, my boy!" says I. Well, as directly as a hospital will allow. The nurses couldn't tell us exactly when David would be going home today. He was to have a below-the-belt procedure today performed by a surgeon, whose schedule was not set. The procedure could have been done at any time today. Because we didn't want it to become a long day, we decided to wait at home until they called us to tell us it was procedure time.

We called every hour or so this morning to see if it was yet "go time." At about 9:30a, David had received his last dose of antibiotic. His nurse called at 12:45p and told us that the procedure was already done and that he had done great. We were still cleaning the house so we shifted into gear and ate lunch, took showers, got dressed, loaded the car and took off by about 2p. By 4p, we had completed all our paperwork at the hospital and were on our way.

Here's the big boy without any tubes, wires, IVs, or leads in his "take me home" outfit. Thanks to his Great Mamaw Duty, he was looking sharp.

Here's our first family picture at home. You can see how thrilled Josh is to have his little brother home.

Today is the Day

2007-08-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

I just talked to the nurse and David has received his last does of antibiotics! The last dose means a couple of good things: they've taken the IV out of his head AND he has just one more hurdle to jump before getting to come home. His last hurdle is the one that makes all the guys in the audience cross their legs and shed a tear for little David.

Just a few more hours, little buddy, and then we get to bring you home!

Life's Tough

2007-08-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

David's life outside the womb has been quite a journey. Earlier this week in an attempt to diagnose the cause of his breathing troubles, they took an x-ray of his chest. The radiologist didn't find anything unusual in his lungs but noticed a hairline fracture in his left clavicle (which you can see in the x-ray below).

They tell us that this is not a big deal for a couple of reasons. First, 50% of all babies fracture their clavicle during delivery. Second, it is a fracture that heals quickly (within 4-6 weeks). Clavicle fractures are so common and heal so quickly that most parents (and doctors) don't know that a baby has sustained the injury. Anyway, we came in yesterday and found the little man wrapped up in a gauze sling.

Then there are the issues with his IV. The IV started in his right hand--then he popped it out. They moved it to his left hand--and he popped it out. Because he's so chubby, they couldn't find another place to put it his hands so they moved it to his right foot--and he kicked it out. SOOO...they moved it to his left foot and told us that it was terribly important that we not disturb this IV. To help the IV remain undisturbed, the nurses fashioned a splint.

With the IV splint and the sling, here's what the total package looks like:

I intended to stop the post with that picture. However, we came in today and (surprise, surprise) he had kicked the IV out of his other foot. Our friend, Matt Hester, brought us a yummy lunch from Chick-Fil-A. After we had eaten, Shannon and I went back into David's pod and found that they had relocated the IV to his HEAD. AGH! The first thing the nurse said was "It looks so much worse than it is." I hope so.

It looks like he'll be coming home tomorrow (Saturday) and before he comes home, he gets all the wires, tubes, slings, and splints removed. Other than some cute outfit that his mama will pick out, it will just be our plump little David riding home with us tomorrow.

BIG NEWS

2007-08-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

We just talked to David's neonatologist. She said that all his numbers look great and that the only reason he's still here is to finish his round of antibiotics--which will be Saturday. Because of all that, she expects him to be headed home Saturday afternoon! Woohoo!

Boys' Day

2007-08-22T20:12:00.000-05:00

It was a David + Daddy day today. Shannon seized the opportunity to rest at home today and I went down to be with David from about 11:30a to 3:30p. We had a blast--a blast which mostly involved David downing a couple of bottles, me changing a couple of his diapers, and us napping.

Pops (my dad) brought me some lunch and then stayed to hang out with his son and grandson. Just three Ott men enjoying David's penthouse suite.

The neonatologist was wrapping up some stuff when I arrived. It gave me a chance to ask some questions. She indicated that, while there is a possibility that the Strep B could return, the chances of recurrence are lower because of the antibiotic treatment he's currently taking. All his numbers either continue to be strong or are getting better. He's still on pace to be home early next week.

Coming home a little earlier gave me the chance to hang out with Josh for a while. Last Friday was the last time that he and I were able to play together for more than just a few minutes. It was so good for both of us to spend some time wrestling and playing.

In other news...Gigi finished painting the mural on all four walls of Josh's big boy room today and Josh slept in there for the first time tonight! We were all excited. We'll post some pictures of his new room in the next couple of days.

When Negative is Positive: Redux

2007-08-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

Huge props to Aunt Whitney for this one...

A Beautiful Picture For The End Of The Day

2007-08-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

The Road Ahead, Revisited

2007-08-21T20:36:00.001-05:00

It has been a hard evening as we ponder the possibility that David could have to go back to the hospital for another week at camp if the Strep B returns in 3-4 weeks. While the staff and facilities at Northside are great, it is emotionally and physically exhausting to be there all day. Please join us in thanking God for the negative cultures we heard about today and praying that God will prevent a recurrence of Strep B in 3-4 weeks (and beyond).

Where is David?

2007-08-21T20:20:00.001-05:00

David is in a NICU pod on the penthouse level (7th Floor) of Northside Hospital. That's his room behind the curtain to the left. Up and to the right is the skylight just outside his room.

If you look up through the skylight, you can see the flag...

...which is the same flag on the roof of the hospital.

It hit me today when we were driving down 400 to the hospital that our little man is right there under that flag--that if he were in the hallway looking up, he'd see it. If you happen to drive by Northside and notice the flag on top, remember little David and maybe say a prayer that he'll get better soon.

The Road Ahead

2007-08-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

The neonatologist just stopped by. She confirmed that David's blood culture is negative and that he should be good to go home next Monday or Tuesday. She said that Strep B hits early and late. Translation: David could possibly experience a recurrence of a Strep B infection in 3-4 weeks that would require repeat hospitalization. That's not fun to hear, but it's nice to know what to be on look out for.

In other news...David and I took a nap in a recliner in his NICU nursery. It was awesome. He laid on my chest and we slept for about 45 minutes. We'll be making a habit of that. :)

When Negative is Positive

2007-08-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

David continues to do well. His second blood test came back negative!

Gigi, Pops (my parents), and Whitney (my sister) went to the hospital last night to hang out with him and give him his 9p feeding. Gigi & Pops came back this morning to love on him and do the 6a & 9a feedings. I know he loved that. Shannon and I slept in our own bed last night and it was dreamy. Nana (Shannon's mom) will be taking those shifts tonight and tomorrow morning. There's nothing like cuddles to help a big boy get better.

We're here with him at the hospital now (and have been since about 11a). He resumed nursing today and does so with prodigious skill. David and his mom are quite a team. As I type this, David is asleep in Shannon's arms...that makes me smile.

Pictures

2007-08-20T16:20:00.001-05:00

In case you've missed the links in the previous posts...

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF PICTURES

CLICK HERE FOR A GALLERY OF PICTURES

David's first week at camp

2007-08-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

We just heard from David's neonatalogist that he is going to be here for the next 7 days to receive the full round of antibiotics for the treatment of strep b. So...his first week away from home at camp will be in a penthouse, being waited on hand and foot. We're thankful that insurance will be subsidizing his first camp experience.

Shannon's doctor just stopped by. She's been given discharge orders which means that we're headed home tonight. Though we're sad to be leaving the little man here, we know that he couldn't be in a better place.

Our room here has been very comfortable. To make our room at home as comfortable, we're going to see if insurance will pay for a 40" LCD TV. :)

Grandma Walker

2007-08-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

We learned that Shannon's great-grandmother, Florence Walker, passed away yesterday. She was a sweet, wonderful lady who lived to be 100 years old. Up until very recently, she was still mowing the lawn and shooting the vermin under her house with a shotgun. She always seemed to have the same sparkle that Shannon has. We sure will miss her. The picture above is from a visit we had with her in 2003. The picture below is of a sign that hangs on the wall in her kitchen.

Fun Fact: cc

2007-08-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

All my life I have heard people use the term "cc" and I never knew what was. Today, that has changed.

In case you're like me and you didn't know, a "cc" is cubic centimeter.
1 cc = 1 milileter (ml)
1 cc = 1 gram
30 cc = 1 ounce

"David has been consuming between 40 and 60 ccs of formula at each feeding."

Look at me, I even used it in a sentence.

Things I like about the hospital

2007-08-20T12:49:00.000-05:00

I know that's strange title. I don't think most people like the hospital. I'm not saying that I'd prefer being here to being at home on the couch with my family, but there are some aspects that I like.

- Highly competent personnel
- Excellent customer service
- Well-designed facilities
- Everyone has the tools and supplies he/she needs to do his/her job
- Super clean
- Sweet gadgets everywhere
- Smart details (the floor and the baseboard are one piece and curved in the corner to make it easier to clean)
- The ice and water machine in the kitchen
- Well-thought out installation of all the different systems
- Everything is labeled and organized (the way I would do it if I were wired up like that)

Just like the Jeffersons...

2007-08-20T12:36:00.001-05:00

David is movin' on up from the NICU on the 2nd floor to the penthouse NICU on the 7th floor. Most importantly, babies get to move to the 7th floor when they're doing well. The 7th floor NICU is brand new (just opened in May) and it is NICE (it's got skylights and everything). Here are some pics:

Afternoon update

2007-08-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

I just gave the little man his lunch bottle. Dude can munch. After his lunch, I changed his diaper and caught him just as he tried to hose down his NICU pod.

It looks like he is going to be in NICU for at least another 48 hours and maybe another 5-7 days. The doctor hasn't seen him yet today. The doctor may decide to keep him another 5-7 days to let the antibiotic run it's full course and totally knock out the strep b.

Shannon's sleeping right now (yeah, rest!). We're doing well knowing that our boy is in great hands.

Test results

2007-08-20T08:25:00.000-05:00

His spinal tap came back negative! His blood test from the 18th is positive, which we already knew. We just learned that the mystery infection is actually Group B Strep. They've had him on general antibiotics for the past 24+ hours. His doctor may change up his antibiotic to more specifically combat the strep. Shannon's feeding him right now. After she finishes, his nurse is going to take another blood sample for them to see how he's coming along today. We won't know those results for 24-48 hours.

Again, overall he's doing well. Now we'll pray that he is healed of Group B Strep.

The Morning News

2007-08-20T07:54:00.000-05:00

David's doing great this morning. He had a good, uneventful night. Shannon got to feed him last night before we went to bed and he did very well. Not surprisingly, his chubbiness has to be supplemented with formula at this point. He can drain a 2oz bottle of formula like Kobayashi eats hot dogs. Thank you for your prayers. He is doing so well.

We still don't have a word on discharge date/time. Maybe we'll hear something after his doctor comes to see him. We're taking a CPR class today at 12:30p. More info to come.

No more CPAP!

2007-08-19T13:46:00.000-05:00

He's free from the CPAP and doing great! What a precious face. He's been off for a little while now and his breathing numbers continue to look like they should. Woohoo! We still don't know exactly what we're dealing with infection-wise, but we'll get there...

Even more pics...

2007-08-19T09:41:00.000-05:00

We went down to NICU to hang out with David for a bit. He took the spinal tap like a champ. I'm glad I didn't have to watch...I would much prefer that they'd give me 50 spinal taps so that he wouldn't have to have ONE. He's breathing very well and his vitals continue to look strong. We've added to the slideshow.

A little infection

2007-08-19T06:55:00.000-05:00

We just talked to the neonatologist. The preliminary results from the blood test indicate that David has some type of infection in his blood. They're going to start giving him some general antibiotics via IV. To make sure we're not dealing with anything hefty (meningitis), they're going to do a spinal tap in about 15 minutes. Those preliminary results should be back within 24 hours. We've been told that if he does have meningitis, they'll continue to give him antibiotics but just for a few more days than if it's another type of infection. Thanks to the CPAP, his breathing is MUCH better. His vitals continue to look GREAT, too. Moreover, he continues to be the celebrity baby. Everyone keeps talking about this "huge, beautiful boy." I don't know from where he gets the "huge," but I know EXACTLY from where he gets the "beautiful."

Boy, I don't like to hear talk of a "spinal tap," but I am so thankful that God has blessed us with such a talented, caring, available, perceptive medical staff.

NICU

2007-08-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. That's not quite where we envisioned David would be at birth +12 hours. Transitions can't keep a baby longer than 6 hours. Either they get better (transition) or they have to go to NICU. His breathing still isn't better. After drawing some blood, doing a chest x-ray, and being checked out by a neonatologist , it seems that David has a mild case of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). (Grandmoms, I've given that link for informational purposes only. Remember, he has a MILD case. When this article describes "severe" cases, that does not apply to David...he's not a severe case.) :)

The good news is that all of his major vitals still look great and the x-ray didn't show anything more than a little bit of amniotic fluid in his lungs. To help him improve, they've put him on CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure). That's what you see running to his nose in the picture above. All the medical staff we've talked to seem to think that this is a very mild case of a very common condition (it's so mild that the CPAP isn't even providing supplemental oxygen--just oxygen at a constant pressure).

We should get the preliminary blood tests results in the morning. Once again, though we'd love him to be near us, if David needs this kind of treatment, we're deeply grateful to be in one of the best baby hospitals in the country. These folks are wonderful!

Transitions

2007-08-18T16:07:00.000-05:00

They've watched him in the nursery for the last hour and his breathing isn't getting better. Now they want to send him to a special nursery called "Transitions." It's where they send babies who need a little bit more attention as they "transition" from womb to world. All his important vitals look great, they say (pulse, oxygenation, blood sugar level, etc.). While we'd like him to be in our room with us, if transitions is where he needs to be, we're thankful he can be there.

Hmmm...

2007-08-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

Well, little David is having a bit of a breathing problem. The nurse thinks that it's probably due to the fact that he was delivered after only about 10 minutes of pushing and because he's such a big dude. They're going to watch him in the nursery for a bit.

More pics of our boy

2007-08-18T11:19:00.000-05:00

David is the hit of the hospital. Looking at this picture, it's not hard to see why. At 11 lbs, one nurse thought we should have named him Goliath. There's nothing like Bible humor. For a slideshow of the big boy, go here. (To see the original pictures, click on the "X" on the far right of the control bar in the slideshow.)

HE'S HERE!!!

2007-08-18T10:41:00.000-05:00

James David Ott (We'll call him David)
August 18, 2007
10:06a
ELEVEN pounds, three ounces (!)
22.5 Inches

He's a huge, beautiful boy! Everybody's healthy and happy!

At the Hospital

2007-08-18T07:33:00.000-05:00

Shannon tussled my hair this morning at 3a and told me that she thought she was having labor contractions but wasn't sure. Two hours, a bath, and a shower later she said "Call your dad." That's the code phrase for "GO!" By 5:20a, mom and dad were at the house. From 5:00a-5:20, I loaded the car, put some clothes on, and brushed my teeth (not in that order). By 5:25a, we were in the car and on the road.

One of our prayers during this pregnancy has been that this little guy would come at just the right time. Leaving the house at 5:25a on a Saturday morning is the perfect time to drive the 30 miles from Cumming to Northside Hospital. (There is a satellite of Northside in Cumming only 5 miles away. It's worth the 30 mile drive because the Northside in Atlanta delivers more than 18,000 babies per year, more than any other hospital in the country. And because my brother, Mark, was born there.)

On the way to the hospital, Shannon's contractions were as frequent as 3 minutes apart. Time to put the hammer down. I switched on the hazard lights and hit the gas. We made it from our house to the hospital in less than 30 minutes.

By 6:30a, we were admitted. By 7:10, Shannon was given an epidural. Our first nurse, Karen, has been a labor and delivery nurse for 35 years...not bad hands to be in. Everyone seems to think that this won't be a very long labor. We'll see. Can't wait to meet our little dude!

Ahead of schedule

2007-08-17T13:45:00.000-05:00

We went to see Dr. Durairaj today for a regular check up. Surprise, surprise...Shannon is ahead of schedule. Though she's due on August 27th and scheduled to be induced next Friday, August 24, Dr. D says that she's already progressing into the first stages of labor. WHOA! We're going to see the Bourne Ultimatum, run some errands, go to dinner at the Ott's house, and then get our bags packed. He could be here ANY DAY now!

Baby 1, Baby 2

2007-08-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

Any post before this was about Josh's delivery and first few weeks. Any comment after this is about baby number 2's delivery. Just so you know...

Mother's Day 05

2006-05-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

It's a little blurry, but you get the idea.

Easter 05

2006-05-29T14:26:00.000-05:00

Some pics from easter.

Laughing!!!

2006-02-03T11:10:00.000-06:00

6 weeks old and having a blast! For a while you can't tell how much fun they are having in this new and mixed up place they were born into...not to mention the fact that the smiles started out because of gas and laughing during his sleep...now we have smiles and conversations (in baby talk of course...who knows what I am saying to him!) and he is laughing at us! He laughed 3 different times yesterday for the first time and it was the sweetest sound. We have to get him really worked up when we are talking to him and his smiles turn into laughs! We had had a rough night the couple of nights before, so this was much needed! We love him and I think he is loving us!!!
SO FUN!

5 weeks old!

2006-01-22T17:28:00.000-06:00

What an amazing month and a week! It all started off in a dark hospital room early in the wee hours of the morning...with lots of pain...and has led to a month full of new experiences and countless blessings! May I just say that I LOVE being a mother! It all started when Joshua was laid on my stomach and was crying because of this scary new world he had entered and quieted down because he recognized my voice...what a sweet moment! I am convinced that God gives mothers little things like that to make up for the burdens that come during pregnancy. One thing we have learned from our pediatrician is that when babies smile, it releases a chemical in a woman that is the equivalent of how we feel after eating a box of chocolate...this doesn't happen for men. How cool that God does this for us!
We were able to have both families here to help us celebrate this little guy and then the moms - or grandmoms - took turns coming to care for us. What an incredible gift they gave us...cooking and cleaning and loving on us and Josh. John and I were able to have some dates...well what we could stay awake for...and I was able to get out and have a girls' night with some friends.
Our days have been filled with holding and crying and eating and sleeping and lots of pooping - I am talking about Josh - and they are precious! I am learning what Josh's stomach can handle and what it can't...like the 3 bowls of fruit a day that I was eating! I was so excited not to have indigestion anymore that I have been downing the fruit. We are one a schedule now for nighttime...John takes one of the feedings so that I can sleep a little in the night...what a champ! Josh's smiles have turned from dream smiles and gas smiles to reactionary smiles. There is nothing that warms my heart in the way that his recognizing me does.
We took Joshua to an elders' meeting one night to be prayed over by the elders and their wives...John and I pray for Josh, but the prayers of these seasoned men and women of God were some of the most beautiful prayers for him that I could imagine! He has been to church 2 weekends and the attention has definitely moved from my belly and how big it is to his sweet little face...and I am ok with that! We are blessed to have families that love us and him so much and then extended families of friends in Nashville and here that are added on uncles and aunts and grandparents.
Ryan and Lisa came for a night on their way to ACU....they were both precious with him! It is funny how Joshua changes in his looks from day to day...most days he is little John, but there are some days where he looks exactly like Ryan (my brother) did when he was a baby.
John went to Chicago without us this past week for a couple of days...WE MISSED HIM!!!! We made it ok and had several sweet friends checking on us, but it was very nice to have Big J home again.
So we are now working on our 6th week together and falling more in love with each other as the moments go by...all 3 of us! We are so thankful for the answered prayers of health and strength for Joshua and we continue to pray that we will stay totally dependent on God for parenting throughout his whole life!

More Pics from Weeks 3&4

2006-01-17T15:21:00.000-06:00

Pics from Weeks 3&4

2006-01-17T14:36:00.000-06:00

More Pics from Week 2

2006-01-17T14:33:00.000-06:00

2 Weeks Tomorrow

2006-01-01T18:26:00.000-06:00

Not only is Shannon a great mom and wonderful wife, she also has some pretty serious camera skills. Check these out:

I take it back!

2005-12-26T17:46:00.000-06:00

After a working for a few hours today, I quickly came home to be with my two favorite people (my favorite mother-in-law, and my favorite dog...no funny jokes, those are two different people).

Josh was asleep in Shannon's arms. We got him to wake up and I started kissing him all over. At one point, I was kissing his belly and then looking at his face. I told him "I can't wait to be able to make you laugh and smile!" I quickly caught myself and took it back. I told him, "Josh, I CAN wait. I can wait because in the blink of an eye, you'll be 27 and holding your own son. I can wait. I'm just going to enjoy you right where you are and soak in every little bit about you. You'll be older before I'm want you to."

By the way, Joshua is 1 week old today.

First things first

2005-12-21T14:16:00.000-06:00

Josh's dad, uncle and pops are all dorks. That's why Josh already has his first email address: joshua_dot_ott_at_gmail_dot_com; and his first websites: joshott.com and joshuaott.com. He probably won't check his email or do anything with his websites for at least a week, but at least he has them.

25 Pictures of Josh

2005-12-21T12:57:00.000-06:00

Uncle Mark put this together...it's wonderful. Check it out here.

You'll need flash player to really enjoy it.

He's here!

2005-12-20T12:46:00.000-06:00

Born into the world at 4:41a on Monday, December 19th, 2005...

A 1' 10" power forward, hailing from Amarillo, Texas; weighing in at 9 lbs. 6 oz...

JOSHUA NIKOLAUS OTT!

Mom and baby are doing GREAT. Dad's doing good, too. More details and pics to come...

Week no. 40

2005-12-18T14:12:00.000-06:00

According to all best estimates, today is the day. Shannon's feeling it, too. The contractions are getting tougher. They're irregular at about 12 minutes apart. Bless her heart. It is hard to sit and watch her hurt. She's on the couch right now watching the Colts take a beating from the Chargers.

It's this kind of day out:

It was way foggy last night and then became very cold. This morning, the pretty fog from the night before became a frosty glaze over everything--the trees, the roads: everything.

Add that to our special bonus. Sometime yesterday afternoon, our heat went out. We haven't had central heat since that time. We've been running the heater in the bathroom. We've borrowed a radiator. We've kept a fire going during the waking hours and we just called the HVAC folks. We're staying warm but the nursery is COLD (45 degrees or so). We're praying for a quick fix. At least we have a home warranty.

Is this the day when the duet becomes a trio?

Just Kidding - Again!

2005-12-15T17:55:00.000-06:00

Well, I ended up having contractions until about 1:00 a.m....well, we went to bed and I guess they stopped. We were watching last season's episodes of "LOST" and every 5 minutes I would write down on the paper the time and how long the contraction lasted...John would immediately pick up the piece of paper and read it. I told him he had to stop because it was stressing me out. He was just so excited and I continued to get more and more scared. We called the doctor at about 11:30p.m. and he said that it wasn't time yet...because they were not as hard as they should be - even though they were on schedule. So I took a long shower to cry it out and relax and then went to bed. The full moon didn't work....this little guy is coming when he wants to. Good news though - we went to the doctor the next day - Wednesday - and he said that I was almost starting to "open up". We go back on Monday to see if there has been any progression...he knows we want to have it next week before Christmas so inducing might be on the agenda! Meanwhile, both of our families being at least 10 hours away are in limbo waiting for the call...should they go ahead and come or should they wait? I have elders and friends from church calling and checking on me every day...we will have a lot of excited people when this little guy gets here! I have run out of things to organize and get ready so I guess I will be cleaning every day until he comes...at least he will come home to a clean house! Eddy has become very attached to me...he wants to be by my side and in my face constantly. Do you think he knows something?
By the way, we have a name for sure this time....hehe

Coincidence?

2005-12-13T22:01:00.000-06:00

It's a full moon tonight. Shannon tells me that I shouldn't get my hopes up. I can't help it. I'm pumped.

Have we rounded the final turn??

2005-12-13T20:38:00.000-06:00

Shannon has been having contractions every 10 minutes since 2:45p today. It is now 8:45. Stay tuned.

Week 38: You make the call

2005-12-04T15:23:00.000-06:00

Rick says the baby is going to come on Thursday.

Keith says the baby is not allowed to come before Saturday.

What drama! What tension!

Nursery's Done

2005-11-29T22:37:00.000-06:00

It only took 10 people to get the nursery finished (Shannon, John, Gatha, Whitney, Robert, Keith, Sharon, Mel, Kay, and Larry). Shannon and Kay dreamed it all up. John was the primary grunt. Gatha & Whitney painted the tree. Gatha, Robert, Sharon, and Keith provided the rocker (you can see the matching ottoman in the left of the picture). Kay sewed the curtains and bed skirt. Larry did whatever Kay told him to do. Mel helped put the crib together.

What a difference a week makes...

2005-11-29T22:14:00.000-06:00

Same pretty lady same yard.

36 Weeks:

37 Weeks:

37 weeks!!!

2005-11-27T07:51:00.000-06:00

We made it! Now, if he starts to make his move, we are headed to the hospital and no one can stop him!!! It is amazing how God prepares you for this...taking the scaredy-cat out of you and makes you brave by making you miserable the last month! I have tried to keep a positive attitude and a smile on my face, but there are just days where I am not having fun anymore. Now, it is time to pack for the hospital...even if he doesn't come for a few more weeks...and to put the finishing touches on the nursery. I think we know all there is to know about parenting, so we are set there....HA HA! I am so thankful that we are not alone in this....God will teach us a lot I am sure!
Setting up Christmas decorations has a whole new spin on it, thinking about (hopefully) the little guy coming home and being able to celebrate his first Christmas at just a few days old - I will even take a couple of weeks old! What an awesome gift to be able to have this little one come at my favorite time of year!

Eddy has been trying out some of the fun toys for us...the swing is his favorite. He actually almost fell asleep when being rocked in it! He also likes the glider that we got...he will have some adjusting to do I think when he is not the center of attention...well, I guess so will I!

Thanksgiving was wonderful! We had my brother and soon to be sister-in-law Lisa come and stay with us for a few days. We were very lazy and it felt nice! We cooked our first full Thanksgiving meal and it was a blast! We had a fried turkey that one of the elders did for us - incredible!!! While they were here, we also registered at Target for their wedding. I miss registering...I had forgotten how fun it was..yes, we did it for the baby, but lets face it, I had more fun when it was for John and me!
Well, John has just informed me that biscuits are on the table for breakfast! I pray you had an amazing Thanksgiving and are enjoying this whole season of blessings!

BONUS: Dogs at Play

2005-11-08T18:46:00.000-06:00

Due to a water line problem, Josh and Joni Patrick stayed with us on Thursday night last week. Our dog, Eddy, and their dog, Rudy, played like wild animals the entire time. Here's an example. For the record, this doesn't have anything to do with babies.

It must be a boy

2005-11-08T18:45:00.000-06:00

Look at the way he goes bonkers for the remote control. Click here.

Childbirth Classes 101

2005-11-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

So this past Saturday we had our childbirth class where we were supposed to learn all about what the big day will be like. We must have gone to the wrong place because all John was supposed to do was paint a room and I was told to clean the house! Yes, we were rebels and skipped the class. We were under the good influence of some friends here who skipped out on their classes to go gamble...they shall remain nameless. We made up our mind late the night before and slept in on Saturday and John finished painting the nursery while I cleaned. We figured the baby will get out somehow, so we won't worry about it! No, seriously, we are planning on doing a lot of research and reading and asking questions to our doctor to make up for it. We did have a fun day though!

And his name is...

2005-11-08T12:56:00.000-06:00

We're not telling! We do have a first name picked out...still working on the middle name. We plan on having a whole backup option in case he doesn't look like a __________. So all of you out there who are anxious to find out....sorry Charlie! It is fun to be able to talk to him and pray for him using his name! I did have to rule out Gladiator...sorry Mom and Dad and Dave and Laurie and Mamaw and Papaw...(they were all rooting for this one!)

Billy's back!

2005-11-08T12:53:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning and guess who popped up...my old friend Billy the belly button! He looks a lot different now - a lot taller! I think he still has a little ways to grow...but it sure is fun rubbing him!
Welcome home, Billy.

This Is REAL

2005-10-12T07:27:00.000-05:00

Last night we registered for gifts at Toys R Us (you can see our registry by clicking on Toys R Us - you better believe I registered for some legos). Shannon spent most of her day yesterday researching items to determine those with the best value—a process that cut our registering time in half.

I don’t know if it was the “My Daddy Loves Me” bibs or the awesome bath toys, but I became really excited. I didn’t just see a blanket or a stroller, I saw our little guy wrapped in the blanket or sleeping in the stroller. I could see him sleeping on my chest in a little onesie while I watch the NFL playoffs.

The same thing is happening around the house. Walking past the tub, I imagine him splashing and giggling. Riding in the car, I can almost hear his coos from the backseat. In the kitchen I can see a swing filled with him.

Shannon is in her 30th week. We are 75% there. It’s hard to believe that in 10 short weeks he’ll be here.

Last night, I had dream after dream about him. I don’t know if it was due to any one of the above reasons or all of them together. In my dreams, we played and laughed—I could see his face so clearly (though I couldn’t pick it out or describe it if I had to). In one dream I saw Shannon carrying him in one of those carrier/backpack/pouch things. She looked great and he was having a blast soaking in the world around him.

What an experience.

IT’S A…

2005-10-04T22:18:00.000-05:00

No more waiting. No more hiding. No more guessing.

IT’S A BOY!!!

The ultrasound tech looked for 20 minutes last time but couldn’t determine the gender. Today, in just under 18 seconds, she said, “Oh, this is VERY clear. It’s a boy!” To live the excitement for yourself, watch the video here.

After she said, “Oh, this is VERY clear,” and before she said, “It’s a boy!” time stood still. In that moment, I saw two pictures side-by-side in my mind: on one side, there were tea parties, baby dolls, prom dresses, dates with daddy, boyfriends (ugh), escorting down the aisle… On the other side I could see baseball gloves, legos, shaving, dates with mom, girlfriends, and football. The moment seemed to hang there in the room.

We would have been excited to find out either gender. For some reason, it adds a layer of reality to the situation. To say that we’re totally PUMPED about having this kid would be an understatement.

Above and beyond the excitement of finding out the gender, we were deeply grateful to have another report of excellent health. Here are some mug shots:

Week No. 29

2005-10-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here’s the mama at 29 weeks. She looks BEAUTIFUL!

And one with Eddy:

Cruise

2005-09-27T19:47:00.000-05:00

One last vacation before the baby shows up. I was thinking the other day that the kiddo has already been to: Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nevada, California, Colorado, Mexico, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman. That’s a pretty good start. Here are a few pics from week No. 27.

Little Ott’s First 14er

2005-09-04T21:42:00.000-05:00

Week No. 25 began with G-mom, Pops, Uncle Mark, and Aunt Whit in Colorado Springs. Among other things, we went up on Pike’s Peak.

Have you seen Billy?

2005-09-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

Has anyone out there seen Billy, my belly-button, because it is gone! I looked where it normally is and it is flat - no sign of it anywhere! If you see it around, please send it back to me. It has been a part of me for 25 years and it is weird to be without it. Thank you for your help! Billy, come home!

Having Fun!

2005-08-25T11:48:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been weird for it to be schooltime again and for me not to be a part of it! Not working has been fun, but also very different. Now my responsibilities at home have increased and I am dabbling in new activities like sewing and painting. Reading has also become a love of mine! A couple of books that I have really enjoyed are "It Worked for Me...1001 Real-Life Pregnancy Tips" and "Hot Mama - How to have a babe and be a babe". Both have made me laugh and be able to focus on the fun parts of pregnancy - which are many! I am enjoying my long hair and experimenting with various nailpolish shades. Facials and at-home pedicures are a ritual now. Really cherishing my big belly and actually enjoying being in elastic-waisted everything - so fun! Eating healthier not only for nutrition-sake, but also because if I don't indigestion becomes my shadow. Exercising is sometimes comical! As is shaking my boodie to music while cleaning! So, all-in-all, I am having a blast being at home and having the honor of being pregnant! So as the "Hot Mama" book states as its mantra, "I am not fat, I am a voluptuous goddess."

It's a...

2005-08-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

Only God knows at this point. The little bugger was shy today. Apparently, it's so cozy in there that there's no good reason to show off for the ultrasound tech. Though we're a little disappointed that we still don't know the gender, we are grateful for another good check up: mom and baby are both healthy. Besides, 30 years ago no one was whining about the fact that they were halfway through the pregnancy and still didn't know the gender. Invention is the mother of necessity, I guess.

Here are the 3 newest shots:

Glamour Shot 1: The baby was kicking a lot - can you tell?

Glamour Shot 2: Here we have a nice side view of the whole kaboodle. What a catch, ladies and gentlemen!

Glamour Shot 3: If you look closely, you can see the face on the left looking at you.

Third Time's The Charm...

2005-08-18T19:52:00.000-05:00

I don't know what this has to do with the baby, but I dislocated my shoulder today for the third time. D'oh! The good thing/bad thing about dislocating your shoulder multiple times is that every time it is easier and less painful to reduce than the previous time. Of course, that's also the reason it dislocates more readily.

Here's how it happened: Brad Small and I were destroying his son, Chris, and Josh Patrick in a little 2-on-2 hoops. It was 2 games to NONE and we were on pace to win game 3 and take the series in a sweep. The fans had already gotten out their brooms and keys when the deal went down. Josh set a pick on Brad for Chris. I was moving over to switch and cover Chris. Chris breezed past his dad and somehow was making his way around me. I put my hands up, he made minor contact and out comes the shoulder. I hollered a moderately inappropriate phrase (dang it) and had visions of emergency rooms, hours worth of deep throbbing pain, and $1500 worth of bills (did I mention that I've done this before??). Not at all like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, I whimpered like a little puppy and made a successful effort at reducing the dislocation myself.

My right shoulder feels like James J. Braddock went 15 rounds on it, but other than that, I'm okay. Shannon's taking great care of me and I'm grateful that I didn't need to go to the ER. In the short term, I'm sure I'll enjoy a week or two of calling my left hand off the bench to brush my teeth and all the other tasks usually given to my all-star right hand. Lefty does okay, but we're all waiting for Righty to come back from the DL (disabled list). Aha, here's how it fits in with the baby: I'm hoping that I can have surgery and physical therapy before the baby comes so that I won't be slowed down by it after the baby comes. We'll see.

BUMMER

2005-08-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

Today is Wednesday. The Sonogram tech only works on Tuesdays. The Sonogram tech was not there today. We did not have a sonogram. We still don't know what the gender of our child is.

We may be able to find out either next Tuesday or the following Tuesday. Of course, there's still an outside chance that the baby maybe positioned such that it still can't be determined.

Kudos to Shannon for not getting her hopes up about finding out today. I got my hopes WAY up and was mildly bummed out today when it didn't work out.

To put things in perspective, Dr. Ashby said that both Shannon and the Baby are in great health and doing very well. That means more to me than anything.

Boy or Girl??

2005-08-11T22:17:00.000-05:00

Our next doctor's appointment is next Wednesday AM. At that point, we'll find out if the Voodoo Test was accurate. And if we're having a boy or a girl!

For the first time ever...little Ott wakes up the parents...

2005-08-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

I have been praying many things for this baby and this pregnancy, one of which was that I would start feeling this angel move soon and that John would be with me when it happened.

I usually get restless at about 4:00 a.m. every morning, but I am able to get back to sleep quickly. This morning I kept getting more and more restless, and by 6:00 a.m. I was completely awake. This is a lot earlier than when I get up so I thought I would stay in bed. At 6:11 a.m. I felt something move on my left side. I didn’t think anything about it until it happened again in the same place harder. Every few seconds, I felt it…I knew it had to be the moment I had been praying for for a few weeks now. I woke John up and told him. The more excited we got about it, the more the baby moved! I kept feeling it do the same thing over and over. It felt like a foot or an arm moving up and down on my left side. This sweet baby continued to dance until about 7:00 a.m.! I could just envision the LORD singing over this baby and it dancing for the LORD! Of course I could not go back to sleep after that! John and I got up and took a walk…praising GOD, the Giver of good gifts. He delighted us this morning and we are so excited!!!

Catch up

2005-08-11T22:12:00.000-05:00

Okay...so we've fallen off the cart a little over the past month or so. Time to get caught up:

1. The move to Amarillo has been made and we are loving it. We have a new OB: Dr. Wendell Ashby. He has a dry wit and is fun to be around.

2. Both [future] grandparents have already made the trip to Amarillo. It's been great to have them.

3. If you haven't noticed, the post about the "Voodoo Test" has generated more than a couple of comments. I think the comments are from some hoodlums. I have it through some back channels that this particular band may formerly hail from the north side of Atlanta. I also understand that one of the ring leaders had a child who previously went by the name of "Lothar of the Sand People." The poor child was taken in public wearing a headband of aluminum foil. [For those of you deeply confused by all this, just ignore it.]

We're settled now and should be able to keep up with the action as it happens...thanks for staying tuned in.

The mom @ 20 weeks

2005-08-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

Half way there!

The mom @ 18 weeks

2005-08-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

The mom @ 17 weeks

2005-08-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

The Voodoo Test

2005-06-21T10:46:00.000-05:00

Last night we had dinner with our friends, the Woodards. Apparently Dana has powers in the black arts and is able to predict the gender of babies to be born. She is 100% accurate in predicting the gender when she is not pregnant. While she was pregnant with her second child, she lost her powers and was able to predict neither her own child's gender nor any of the others. As soon as Maggie was born, her powers returned at full strength. Last night, she unleashed her mystical abilities on Shannon.

Her method involves a string and my wife's wedding ring. She dangles the ring from the string over Shannon's belly. Within a few moments, all the lights in the room flicker and dim. A light bulb or two shatter and Eddy started barking. Shannon floated up off the couch and wrote "It's a..." in latin on the ceiling with a green crayon. (Every element of truth in this entry stopped just after the word "belly.")

After a few seconds the ring began to move a little in a certain direction, which according to Dana, indicates that we're having a boy!

In about 8 weeks, well see if the doctors agree with Dana.

First Sounds

2005-06-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

This is Shannon hearing the heartbeat of our little one for the first time. What a magical moment! Doc came in with the heart monitor and some belly jelly and next thing we knew, we heard the heartbeat. He let us listen for about 20 seconds but it felt like only a flash. I could have listened to that sound all day.

Experience it for yourself in either high or low bandwidth. (Windows Media Player required)

(Special thanks to our friend Nic for encoding the video for us!)

First Pics

2005-05-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

Here are the first ever pics of The Next Generation:

These pics didn't come from Olan Mills...we went to the ultrasound folks today. Getting to see our little one for the first time was spectacular! What a miracle. My favorite part was getting to see the little heart beat at 171 bpm and watch the little, stumpy hands flap around.

The ultrasound nurse said that everything looks great...mom and baby. She also determined that we are about 9 weeks along instead of 8. Therefore, the due date has been backed up from Dec. 25 to Dec. 20. This little one is determined to make it in tax year 2005...sweet!

Here is a link to the ultrasound gear that was used to do the deal.

First dr. appt.

2005-05-18T00:12:00.000-05:00

We went to Dr. Wingo's today. We liked him. I don't imagine that he wants to move to Amarillo with us. It was awesome to have the nurse there do the pregnancy test and tell us that we're pregnant. For some reason, it validated the two home tests we did. Shannon and I laughed and cheered.

Dr. Wingo gave us a pregnancy 101 session. He said that we (humans) are a rather durable species. We (women) are designed to have babies. That seems obvious, but it quiets all those silly fears that are perpetuated through wives tales. He pretty much told Shannon that she could do whatever she wants to do and I can do whatever she tells me to do. I think this will work out fine.

The surprise of the day is that he wants us to go in for an ultrasound tomorrow morning because he thinks that the baby is a little bigger than 8 weeks (where we think we are). He said it was nothing to be concerned about and that it indicated one of three things:

1. Healthy fetus
2. We could actually be 10 weeks along
3. Twins

TWINS!?!?! We just laughed and high-fived when he said that. Who knows? We don't have a history of it in our family, but...

Regardless it will be a lot of fun to get to see the pictures tomorrow. I can't wait to see our child for the first time! WOW.

The fun begins

2005-05-17T23:54:00.000-05:00

Shannon seemed to be a little "late." I tried to think nothing of it. The picture says it all:

Needless to say, it made our trip to Vegas a lot more interesting.

We are excited, scared, excited, and scared! Mostly, we are excited.